1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to amusement devices or games, and more particularly to a game in which, in a preferred embodiment, there is a simulation of a flower and a game piece suspendable therein by a player and adapted either to be magnetically attracted to a pistil-simulating portion of the flower, while also being adapted to engage and remove stamen-simulating counters. The game is properly categorized as one of skill in that the movement of the game piece is entirely under the control of the player, who is required to exercise his or her skill in keeping the game piece from the area in which it is magnetically attracted to the pistil simulation, an occurrence which causes release of a mechanism that snaps the petal-simulating elements of the flower to a closed position, whereby the game piece becomes trapped within the flower.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, amusement devices or games have been devised, wherein elements are suspended within a playing area by means of a string or chain, and include magnetic means designed either to assist in or make more difficult the engagement of said elements with other game pieces. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 468,274 discloses a magnetic hook suspended by means of a chain, and intended for engagement with an eye on a game piece. Other magnetic games, of course, are well known, requiring skill on the part of the player, involving for example the repositioning of cups (U.S. Pat. No. 2,590,002); of the removal of a game piece by means of wands having magnetic elements on them (U.S. Pat. No. 2,904,336). In somewhat the same vein are patents such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,249,357; and 3,312,470, both of which include magnetic elements suspended by flexible members and offering a challenge to the skill of the player.
None of these, however, contains a suggestion for a game wherein the failure of the player to exercise requisite skill in removing counters from a playing area, results in triggering of a mechanism that will instantaneously snap shut a sectional wall in a manner somewhat analogous to that in which insects are trapped by any of the various insectivorous plants, such as the Venus' Fly-Trap, for example.